


A Demonbook of Afterdeath

by WhiskerFrisker



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Angels & Demons, Created by awakenm00ns, Demons, M/M, Magic, Possessed Book, Slow Romance, demon book au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-17
Updated: 2020-09-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:00:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24778036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhiskerFrisker/pseuds/WhiskerFrisker
Summary: Geno lives a rather mundane life. Every weekday, he goes into work, suffers harassment from his manager, tolerates harassment from his small number of friends, and occasionally makes a detour between his work and home. In said home, he typically finds himself considering his life choices and the sense that something important is missing. Either that, or he simply reads a new book he acquires.It's one of his usual detours that leads him to obtaining a particular book wielding an air of magic about it. It's this particular book that brings forth the beginning of many changes in Geno's life, including a particular person of interest. He refuses to acknowledge the blossoming feelings he has for a stranger that came from a book. Geno might have struck the best deal of his life when he picked up that book, though he is persistent with denying this fact until it's impossible to deny any longer.[A story about a magic demonic book that brings to life a new world once forgotten and someone that turns a life into an adventure.]Disclaimer: Demon book AU is created by a friend who prefers to remain anonymous.
Relationships: AfterDeath - Relationship, Geno (Aftertale)/Reaper (Reapertale), Geno/Reaper, Sans/Sans (Undertale)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 76





	1. Lively Reading Material

**Author's Note:**

> Hey y'all, I'm bringing a new story to this place yet again. Don't worry, my other stories will be continued, it's just been a rocky year and some for me. I'll be catching up soon enough! This particular story has been in the making for quite some time. I've been rping with someone for a while with this story, a story that has tons of background and many unique twists. To be clear, this is an AU story about demons and angels, and the living world known as Earth. Here you will find a story centered on Afterdeath, but then you will also find a story with many background relationships and brewing plots that will eventually come to the forefront of the story. Buckle up, y'all, because this is going to be a wild ride. 
> 
> (I'd like to add that these chapters are mainly unedited for the time being, because I'm rather overwhelmed and would rather post what I have than not post anything at all. Updates will be sporadic, and chapter length will depend on literally anything, but will typically have at least 1,000 words.)

The day it happened was, for the most part, a typical day in Geno’s weekly routine. He’d been returning home from yet another average day of work, which typically consisted of being harassed by his racist manager Henry. Upon walking his typical route home, Geno happened to spot the rundown bookstore he occasionally perused for cheap books. As he thought back to his small library at home, he recalled that the number of books he’d not read yet was quickly shrinking. He’d also had a more tiring day than was typical, so he figured a small detour would help distract him from his woes. Thus, he stopped in front of the shop, briefly inspecting the front windows, before pulling the door open with a weak grip.

Upon entering the shop, Geno pauses to scan the now-familiar architecture of the interior. The layout of the shop was a little strange when Geno thought about it, as he typically did with each visit. The shelves were arranged in layered squares that traced the shape of the room. From the front door to the back of the main room where the cash register sat was a pathway left without shelves. In between this space was a pedestal where a book stand sat, shined down upon with the natural sun’s rays from the skylight above. The shop was two stories with a wrap around balcony serving as the second story. This gave way for the light to shine down freely. Geno never understood the reason for this layout, but then again he’d never been here to witness what this place had been built for originally.

Geno adjusted the eyepatch situated across his right eye while his functioning eyelight scanned the shelves for something that might catch his interest. He saw the typical sections of children’s material, young adults, historical, science, languages, and so on. He walked down each isle, scanning the shelves for anything that might be of interest. However, his eyesocket slowly lidded further and further with growing disinterest the longer he failed to find anything that would catch his eye. That is until he entered the historic section. A book debriefing world history made him pause. He ponders on the idea of familiarizing more with human history, despite his continually growing distaste for the species. After reasoning through this idea, he snatches the book and continues browsing, enjoying the smells and sights of an old bookstore.

While Geno continues his meandering through the many shelves, his mind trails back to the day he had at work. With a frown, he recalls the way Henry had strolled up to him and claimed he’d been slacking off, when in reality he’d just sat down to take his break. Geno had attempted to brush him off as per usual, but Henry had insisted he come with him to do some less than savory jobs in the back of the store. Geno refused, so they had been taken to the back office to talk with the store supervisor. Geno rolls his singular eyelight as he pities the supervisor for having to deal with Henry’s utter ridiculous attempts to get Geno in trouble. 

During his irritable trip through recent memories, Geno hadn’t paid much attention to his meandering through the shelves. Thus, he suddenly finds himself standing in front of the book stand sat under the skylight in the middle of the room. He blinks, just now noticing that an actual book sat upon the stand, unopened. The book looks old, the leather stained nearly black with impressions of faded designs and red accents. Intrigued, Geno raises his free hand to pull at the cover gently, though his phalanges brush against a binding lock on the book. Geno frowns with curiosity at this discovery, his mind pondering on what might be within said book.

Geno glances up to the cash register across the room, only to come face-to-face with the owner of the shop. Geno jumps back slightly, frazzled by the fact that he’d not heard her approach. He then takes a moment to assess her in a swift glance. Her face adorns a wide, eager, and slightly creepy smile. Her hands are clasped before her chest as if begging for something unspoken, something Geno hasn’t the slightest idea to.

“Hi!” The owner nearly yells at Geno with an overzealous air about her. Geno squints at her, suspicious as he takes a cautious step back. 

“Hello…” Geno responds hesitantly. The shop owner’s eyes glance down at the old book sat upon the stand between them, her eyes sparking with some kind of desperation. Geno glances at the book as well and thinks to himself, ‘Must be a hard sell.’ He returns his gaze to the shop owner, making eye contact and hoping his irritation to move this along shows just enough to clue her in.

“Are you thinking of buying that book?” she asks with that same excited yet desperate energy as her eyes glance down to said book once more.

Geno’s bonebrow raises at the strangeness of this interaction, having never really interacted with this shop owner aside from trading money for the books he buys on occasion. “Um… not exactly-”

“It’s free!” the lady blurts out suddenly, and eno’s form of politeness nearly exits his body in that moment. Clearly, something isn’t right here.

Geno practically glares at the store owner with an intimidating aura despite his short stature. “... Why is it free?”

The shop owner suddenly begins to wring her hands with obvious nervous energy, eyes glancing away to the side as sweat starts to coalesce on her skin. “Well, it… it’s not selling…”

Geno can smell a lie a mile away, and this lady reeks of something not being told. He continues to glare at the lady, the world history book in his hands now nearly strangled by his grip. He speaks with a chilling tone, “Oh… really?” His head tilts in mock wonder before he deadpans at the poor lady. “Was it stolen?”

The shop owner jolts at Geno’s claim before panic sets across her face and she waves her hands about in negation. “No, no, no! Not at all! It’s just… very old, and… it’s been sitting in the back for such a long time. Plus, no one can open it if they don’t own it.”

Geno’s bone brow furrows in confusion at the lady’s actions, suspicion still creeping up his spine yet held at bay with the uncertainty of the situation. “It can’t be opened… unless it’s owned?”

“What?” The lady looks startled by the information Geno has given her, which is another tip-off. “Well, I mean, it’s not- the key, I mean, is not owned by any-”

Geno interrupts her with an irritated and tired expression, nearly ready to drop his chosen purchase to leave. “Is it magic?”

The shop owner stops her floundering ramble to give Geno a surprised look. Then she seems to backtrack in her head before nodding with uncertainty. “Well, I… I guess so. I mean, I don’t really know myself, but the book just refuses to open-”

Geno rolls his eyelight subtly at this nervous woman’s antics. Seeing as this human cannot open the book, Geno figures he himself could do so through his familiarity with magic. He once again interrupts the lady, “I’ll take it, then.” He grabs up the book and places it against the one he’d chosen previously. Holding the book now suddenly brings awareness to a heaviness in the air around the immediate area of the book. Geno figures the magic properties have something to do with this, which gives some credibility to the shop owner’s story.

The lady’s face is suddenly struck by shock when Geno picks up the book, as if the mere idea of someone wanting the book and taking it into their hands is an impossible occurrence. She blinds at Geno a few times while her eyes flick between Geno’s face and the book in his hands. Then her mouth begins to work, giving out a stuttering response. 

“I… I- y-yes… yes! Yes, of course! You can take it!” The shop owner suddenly whirls around and walks briskly to the cash register.

“That’s what I just said…” Geno mumbles as he begins to slowly follow the lady, still wary of her actions.

By the time Geno reaches the counter, the shop owner had long since skipped over to stand behind the cash register desk. The moment he slips his chosen books onto the counter, the lady immediately snatches them up to bag them. Once done, she hurriedly rings up the world history book before giving Geno a wide, unsettlingly zealous smile. 

Geno leans back, feeling unsafe with this person. His mind drifts to the moment she'd suddenly popped up in front of him. Was she using magic? Perhaps she was just good at sneaking. However, the fact that she was in possession of a magic book gave Geno some suspicions. Was it cursed? Would he dust? ...He found he wasn't too concerned as he thought back to the many times he'd come in here to find this person to be a little more pleasant to handle.

"Hello? Sir?" Geno blinks and raises his gaze from staring at the counter. He'd been lost in thought, he realizes as he makes eye contact with the lady yet again. "That'll be $3.25," she says with a patient smile. Said smile reminded Geno why he didn't mind coming in here. This was one of the few more tolerable humans in his opinion.

Geno nods at the lady as he pulls out a few bucks from his inventory without a word. As he sets them on the counter, he realizes he'd never spoken to this person before in all the times he'd visited. He decides this doesn't change anything and refrains from speaking like every other time he'd bought something here. The lady doesn't seem to find this strange in the least bit. Geno is sure she's grown used to his silence, and then ponders that part of her shock from earlier was that he was speaking. 

The lady hands him his change, 75 cents out of four dollars. Geno cringes at the idea of having to grab it from her hand, but does so anyway with a quick snatching motion. She then hands Geno his plastic bag holding his two new books. With this transaction completed, Geno swiftly turns away from the lady and makes a brisk walk to the front door.

As he pushes through the jingling door, he hears the lady yell out, "Come again! And be carefu…" He pauses, wondering why she'd mentioned being careful, which was abnormal compared to his previous visits. Geno shrugs it off with a scoff and continues his way towards home on his typical route. 

He doesn't notice the rising heat of the ancient book held in his plastic bag.


	2. Summoning a New Guest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Geno has a strange, unsettling dream. Then he meets his new house "guest."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo! Y'all get a new chapter early! Why? Because the first chapter didn't have any afterdeath in it. Anyway, enjoy!
> 
> Posted: 6/22/2020

The moment Geno arrives at the front of his shabby house in the projects-style neighborhood, he swiftly unlocks the door before shoving it open with an exhausted sigh. He doesn't bother to stop it from slamming into the wall. With no wall-neighbors thanks to moving out of his previous nasty apartment, he has no worries of getting a noise complaint. One less thing to worry about, thankfully.

Upon locking his door, Geno wastes no time in shuffling over to his couch and flopping onto it with exhaustion from the day sagging on his bones. The bag of books flops lazily onto the ground beside his couch, momentarily forgotten with his exhaustion seeping swiftly into his bones. Before he can give a second thought to sleeping, his mind drifts away from him, falling into a land of dreams.

_ Feathers drift on the wind, a whitewashed red coloring with the occasional blue stripe. They fall through the air like leaves, drifting down. They shed to make room for a hardened tree, ready to survive the harsh winter.  _

_ A sound like whistling wind comes into focus, slowly filling the air with sharp sound until it fills every space with a piercing screeching. _

_ Red stains the clouds below, seeping through the fluff and spreading swiftly. The dripping of liquid follows the growing puddles before they swiftly saturate the once-white fluff serving as a ground.  _

_ The image is fuzzy, swaying and blurring as if focus is a near-impossible goal to reach. More feathers fall, accompanied by white snow. No… not snow, but dust. The image shakes as the realization comes to the forefront of his mind. His feathers, his blood, his dust, his screaming, staining and polluting the area.  _

_ Slowly, Geno's gaze begins to raise, finding a blurry and red-stained visage of chaotic, blurry movement. Before him, someone stands, their laughter overpowering the shrieking he realizes is his own cries of agony. He tries to focus, to make out the person standing before him with devilish mirth putrefying their laughter.  _

_ The harder Geno tries to look up and face this scourge, the worse his vision gets. He tries to reach for them, to show them what their deed has brought them into. A world of pain will surely be shared. Yet he finds his vision darkening, filling with quickly-spreading black spots, before everything pitches forward and he lands into the red stains of his own- _

Geno jerks up out of his lying position with a ragged gasp, nearly falling off the couch, before he screams at the air with wordless rage and fear while his hands claw at the air. It takes a moment for his mind to register that something is different than moments before, which prompts him to cut off his scream. Now sat up and awake, he blinks a few times with a confused frown, hands falling into his lap. His mind slowly processes the room he's sat in as his mind sluggishly seeps out of the dream world. His injured eyesocket aches under its bandage.

After taking some time to ground himself in the sight of his tiny livingroom, Geno sighs and collapses backwards into the couch. One arm lays over his face to block out the light while his mind tries to grasp at the intense dream. However, the imagery and sensations slip from his memory like water slipping through his fingers. As the last bits of the dream fade away with the blurry sight of feathers, Geno groans with frustration and sits back up. An ache from the wound on his chest has his hand automatically reaching to scratch at it through his work shirt. He swiftly decides to find a distraction from it.

Geno looks around the room once more, his mind changing direction towards attempting to remember what he'd been wanting to do after returning home. He ponders the idea of getting some chores done, or perhaps grabbing a bite to eat. Though, upon looking down to the floor while gathering his thoughts, he catches sight of the bag of books laying on the floor beside the couch. The bag looks rather innocent sitting where it is, but the memories of his trip to the bookstore brings Geno into a suspicious and cautious mindstate. All the same, he doesn't have much in his life at the moment, so the interest for the magic book grows.

Slowly, Geno leans down to grab at the bag, then places it into his lap. The moment it graces his legs, Geno feels the unnatural warmth radiating from the strange leather book. With a frown, Geno gently reaches into the bag to grab the book before pulling it out and placing it upon the bag. With his hands placed upon the book, he finds the warmth to be a sort of soothing feeling upon his phalanges. He hums in thought, taking in the warmth while taking his last moment of calm. Then his hands grab at the lock.

Geno pulls at the latch holding the book closed. He jumps with surprise when the latch on the book pops open with a strike to his femur. Geno huffs at this and rubs at the hit spot before he gently opens the book. Immediately, a rush of heated, dry air whooshes into his face. He flinches back in surprise before noticing the air is permeated with the smell of vanilla coffee beside a bonfire and mint leaves on a cooling wind. Geno raises a bonebrow at this before turning to the first page. He blinks in surprise when reading the first words on the title page. "Demonbook: R-----." Though part of the title was too faded to read, Geno huffs with slight amusement at this. He figures someone decided to have some fun making this fictional book. That is until he suddenly remembers that this is a magic book.

Geno tenses, wondering what the hell a Demonbook would be and what that would possibly mean for him. He glances around with a defensive expression before looking back at the book. He skips through a few pages, trying to find where the book starts, only to realize the pages are blank. Geno's expression becomes an increasingly deep frown as he wonders what exactly this is supposed to be, and whether he'd been scammed.

Something slips onto his shoulder and presses down.

Geno shrieks and whips around to slam the book into whoever dared enter his house without his permission. He feels nothing impacted by the book, but he nonetheless continues to panic. He backs up into the other side of the couch and leans against the armrest, looking to where the thing had come from. He stares with shock and defensive anger at a skeleton standing beside the couch where Geno had just been sitting. The other was draped in a hooded black robe, obscuring some of the figure’s face. Nonetheless, Geno still sees the smirk that climbs upon the other's face as they seem to take in Geno’s appearance. Seeming to be done with checking Geno out, the other waves lazily at the smaller skeleton, their posture denoting a calmness that confounds Geno himself. Said lackadaisical behavior sparks anger within Geno as he realizes they must have broken in and have now made themselves at home.

Swiftly, the smaller skeleton scrambles to his feet atop the couch cushions with an enraged glare and a defensive position. He stays put atop the couch cushions, finding himself to be a little taller than this stranger when standing up here, which he finds is a good addition to looking intimidating. Geno snarls at the other, his left side facing the other for the most part to hide his right side where his blind spot resides. The other skeleton merely chuckles at this aggressive display, which makes Geno even more pissed off. 

Before Geno can tell this skeleton off and hopefully kick him out, quite literally, the stranger speaks. "Well hello there," the skeleton sings with a deep, rumbling voice. Geno is briefly shaken by the decibels reached with the other's voice, reaching such a low level that Geno swore he could feel it shake through the air. 

Quickly shaking his head at the momentary distraction, Geno snarls at the other, "What the hell are you doing in my house, and how did you get in here?!"

The other skeleton gains an amused and lax expression upon observing the aggressive outburst from the smaller skeleton. Though Geno stood tall with the help of the couch, the stranger knew for a fact that the other was exceptionally short, possibly even shorter than five feet. He gazes upon the other with a mildly condescending adoration.

The robed skeleton coos at Geno in an infuriating manner, "Aw, you're so short. You're like a little kitten trying to defend its territory~."

Geno is unprepared for, what he assumed were, antagonizing words. Thus, he fails to hide his flinch of surprise, a faint dusting of red and blue covering his cheeks. Quickly, Geno covers his own emotions with a glare and puffs up his posture to look bigger. "I am not small! Stop trying to distract me from your… intruding!"

The intruding skeleton chuckles at Geno. "Well… it's not really intruding if I was called here, now is it?" He gives Geno a smug smile and leans in slightly, placing a hand on his clothed iliac crest that juts to the side in an almost sassy manner.

Geno snaps back at him, "What?! I didn't make any calls! That doesn't explain why you're here at all!"

The other skeleton moves his head around as if he were rolling his eyes, which brought to attention the fact that he has no eyelights. "You opened my book, didn't you?" He asks Geno, who only gives the other a confused expression. The stranger skeleton only sighs at this before he is suddenly no longer on the floor, his feet lifting while he rises slightly to float over the couch and approach Geno with ease. 

Startled by the sudden floating act and approach, Geno takes a quick step back to get away. Unfortunately, he'd forgotten he was still atop the couch with the armrest at the back of his ankles. He feels his ankles hit the armrest with no time between then and his body pitching backwards. He gasps, his arms pinwheeling to try and save himself, but the gravity already has a tight grip on him. He grits his teeth and readies to hit the ground and roll away from the intruder.

Geno is surprised when his fall is halted suddenly. His feet slip off the couch and flounder across the ground, but his upper body is frozen in the air. Blinking in surprise, he finds himself staring at a pair of black eyesockets a few inches away, a chuckle coming from their owner. Geno startles and tries to yank himself away with his feet scrambling against the ground. He swiftly finds his right humerus held fast in place despite his attempt to escape, which suddenly brings his awareness to the other skeleton's grip on said arm bone. Geno's face snaps back to stare at the other with panic and aggression. He yanks at his arm again, and luckily the other releases him. Geno stumbled back a few steps with surprise, having expected more force and restraint. 

The other skeleton floats closer to Geno again, prompting Geno to take a few more steps back with a wary, angry look on his face. "I was indeed called here, little skeleton. You opened my book, after all." Geno frowns at the other, which causes him to give Geno a pitying yet sly look. "The book, my book. You have it, don't you?" A flash of concern passes across the other's face as he questions Geno.

Frowning, Geno slowly looks to the book that had flown across the room, now placed some distance away behind the couch. The other's head turns to look as well.

"Ah, yes, there it is. That’s the one," the stranger says before looking back at Geno with a humoured expression. "You must have known what kind of book you'd opened. You could feel it, couldn't you? Monsters are typically more attune to magic, after all."

Geno's visible eyesocket widens at the other's words, disbelief and shock settling deep into his bones. "You're… the Demonbook, is yours?"


	3. Deamonbook Deals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Geno finds out what kind of book he has picked up and what exactly it entails to own such a living work of written material.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yoooo, wassap? Another chapter coming at ya, featuring an annoyed, helpless Geno and an amused, curious Reaper.

Geno's visible eyesocket widens at the other's words, disbelief and shock settling deep into his bones. "You're… the Demonbook, is yours?"

The other skeleton nods with a widening smirk full of humor. "Yes~, it is. You poor soul, you had no idea what you were getting into, did you?" A mocking look of pity covers the other's face.

Geno frowns slightly at this expression, though the shock still holds him. "You're… R?"

The other skeleton, now dubbed R, gives Geno a confused and curious look. "R? Hm… you could call me that, little skeleton~. But I must ask why you'd say such a thing."

Geno, starting to recover from the shock, bears an unimpressed look on his face as he regards R. "It's on the title page."

R seems surprised and rather confused. "The title page?" He asks with disbelief. 

Geno gives R an exasperated look. "Yes, the title page." Geno's face then dawns a condescending look of his own. "You do know what that is, don't you?"

R huffs at this, "Yes, of course I do. I've just never seen anything written in that book before." He glances back behind him at the book once more, and Geno recognizes a look of uncertain curiosity pulling at his face.

Wanting to get to the point of this meeting, Geno brings the other's attention back to him. "So what exactly are you doing trapped in a book?"

"Hm?" R responds, his head turning back to regard Geno. He looks briefly unaware of the topic before his face becomes a smirk full of trickery. Geno suddenly feels like he took a misstep. "Oh~, well that's because I'm a demon. Didn't you know?"

Geno soul feels as if it'd been doused in ice. "Wh… excuse me?"

"You heard me~," R responds with a flirtatious tone. "And now you have to make a deal with me."

Geno begins to sweat, starting to take a step back as he responds. "That's not- I actually wasn't aware of that."

R shrugs at Geno's response before his hand suddenly shoots out to grab Geno's right humerus once again. Geno jerks back in hopes of escaping, but it's futile as the other seems to find an ease in capturing him. Geno struggles, trying to shove at R's hand to pry him off. He has to twist his head around to regard the spot with his working eye. 

"Shit- get off'a me, asshole!" Geno yells at the other while trying to pull away.

"Tsk, you can't escape me, little skeleton~," R responds, his words lilting about like sharp satin through the air. "I'll give you a choice, however."

Geno slows his struggling at the mention of an offered choice, though he still pulls at the other's grip in defiance. His words are biting as he inquires, "And what exactly is this choice?"

R's head sways side-to-side in a mocking manner of thinking, his smile laced with devious intent. "Well~, you have two options. You can either become my worker, or…-"

Geno immediately spits his words at the other, interrupting him. "I'm not working for you!" R pauses to study the smaller skeleton in his grasp, subtle displeasure sneaking into the sharp gaze placed upon Geno. The smaller skeleton shudders slightly, but keeps his hateful gaze upon the other. 

After a moment of silence, R then continues, his smile curling into a devilish grin. "Or, you can become one of my many captive souls~." Geno's blood and marrow run cold at this alternative. He stills, staring at the demon with rising panic and growing understanding. 

When the brief silent moment passes, Geno renews his efforts of escape. He yanks on his arm held tight by the demon and tries to kick the other. "Get the hell off of me! I'm not one of your victims to play with! I won't be your stupid plaything!"

R sighs at the violent reaction, his grip on the other's arm tightening to keep hold should the other decide to run. R would rather not chase him around. R tries to wait out the screaming and fighting against him, but he only lasts roughly ten seconds before getting too impatient. Swiftly, he jerks Geno towards him and wraps his arms around the other, effectively trapping Geno against him.

Geno gives a startled screech when he is suddenly yanked forward with surprising force. It takes him a mere second to realize he's trapped, and thus he starts to struggle viciously in R's hold, shoving at his chest and kicking at his legs. "No, no! I'm not letting you take me! Go screw with someone else!"

R yet again takes a moment to ponder on Geno’s words, humming in thought while his grip on the mortal remains steadfast and firm, much to Geno’s displeasure. After a moment of feigned thought filled with the sound of Geno’s struggles, R chuckles and sways back and forth with the mortal as if delighted by their company. He practically purrs at his captive with a playful tone, “That’s rather selfish, don’t you think? Sorry~, but you own my book now. I don’t see any other small skeletons who happened to unlatch that book with the intent to read it. Therefore, I now own your cute ass.”

Geno continues to struggle while the demon is talking. However, the fight leaves him momentarily as he is overcome by surprise upon registering the last comment the demon had made. He sputters, the same dusting of red and blue covering his maxilla. “Wh-ph! Don’t call me that!” He resumes his defiant struggles in the demon’s arms, now wanting to get away for an additional reason of being embarrassed.

R hums in thought at the smaller skeleton’s response, a playful grin creeping further and further upon his face. “Call you what? Cute? Well it’s true~.”

Geno responds with a strangled scream of frustration as he tries to twist back and forth to escape the demon’s clutches. “Stop saying that, it’s weird!” Geno yells with growing frustration and embarrassment.

R chuckles deeply at the antics of this small skeletal mortal. “Alright, alright, short bones. I’ll give you a break for now.” Geno relaxes slightly in the other’s hold despite wearing a very disgruntled expression and subtly continuing his struggling. Though his posture goes rigid when he feels the other’s skull press into the side of his skull. Warm breath fans on the side of his skull as the demon’s deep voice slips into his earhole. “We have more important business to attend to, anyhow~.” 

Geno grits his teeth at the feel of the other speaking so closely, forcing down a shiver that threatens to roll up his spine. With clenched teeth, he responds tersely, “Business? Tsk, as if I would condone that!” Yet even as he speaks these words, Geno recognizes that he had, after all, opened the book. All the same, if there’s a chance he can avoid choosing one of the two options and defy the rules, he wants to grasp that chance and hold fast.

R sighs at Geno’s response, slightly disappointed that the other doesn’t understand how this works. Then again, not many mortals do, and with this one in particular, R decides he might as well have some fun. He shoves the other away suddenly, allowing Geno to stumble, stunned by confusion for the sudden change. Said smaller skeleton quickly recovers and whirls to face R, anticipating some tricker. However, he finds something much worse. The demon floats before him with a grim expression and a darkened aura around him, a scythe hanging from one hand at his side. Geno feels his bloody marrow chill and sweat starts to coalesce on his skull as he stands before the demon who is obviously ready to cut Geno down. 

“I gave you a choice,” R begins, his voice encompassing an echoing darkness underneath his already deep tone, “Yet you refused. You opened my book, so you are now bound to it with two options. You either work for me…” He trails off as his scythe suddenly flips and slices through the air before posing in a ready position to strike Geno down. The mortal skeleton jerks with surprise, taking a more defensive position with his blind spot facing away from his immediate threat. “Or,” R continues with his unnaturally echoing tone, “you die by my hands.”

Geno is sweating profusely now as he faces this demon, both of them ready for the other’s move. “And what if I refuse to choose?” Geno questions with a glare.

R chuckles at the insolent nature of this headstrong skeleton. Before Geno can realize what is happening, the air is sliced through once more, displacing the air around Geno’s head. Geno jolts and tries to back up as he feels the air move without being able to track what had done so. He finds the back of his neck press against a sharp, cold edge. His eyelight shrinks when he sees the demon’s scythe blade is now behind him and quickly connects the dots. Sweat practically pours down Geno’s skull in the face of death, his weak soul stuttering with fear. 

R chuckles again at the defiant, mortal skeleton as he uses the blade to pull the other closer to his own cruelly smiling expression. He watches Geno try to keep his feet planted while his skull follows with the blade pressed against his neck, though said feet are quick to follow with a want to avoid falling. 

“Well,” R says with a voice filled with grim amusement, “regardless of your choice, you’re still mine~.” R leans in towards Geno’s face, closing the distance until they have a little less than a foot between them.

Geno leans back away from the demon, feeling unnerved. Despite his anxiety, Geno scoffs nervously at the other. “So what? You’re going to kill me?”

R shrugs subtly as he tilts his head to the side, “More or less…”

Geno huffs angrily, his face scrunching into a bitter grimace. He replies with a stubborn air about him, "Well, I refuse to choose, and you aren't taking me."

R chuckles darkly at this, shaking his head before sighing. "It's not up for debate, small bones." R suddenly removes his scythe from the back of Geno's vertebrae and floats backwards a few feet away. "Luckily, I'm feeling merciful tonight… It is night, isn't it?" R briefly glances at the window. "Yes… heh, that gives you… a few hours to decide."

Geno practically puffs up at the response given by R, feeling indignant offence. "I said I wouldn't-!"

R leans in and places a finger across Geno's mouth, "Shhh, it's the rules, Geno~."

Geno blinks in surprise at the sudden appearance of R's finger upon his teeth. He jerks back slightly with a frown. Then R's words suddenly hit him. He sputters and jerks back even further, leaving a few feet between them. "Wh-ph! How do you know my name?"

R grins mischievously at Geno with a chuckle. "A demon never tells~."

Geno scoffs at this, frowning irritably as he crosses his arms. "Fine, whatever. Keep your secrets." He turns away and walks towards the kitchen, though he keeps his senses keen to keep track of the demon. However, upon reaching the kitchen, Geno finds said demon floating near the stove with a cheeky grin.

"Going somewhere?" the demon asks snarkily.

Geno glares at R with contempt and irritation. "I'm not playing your game, demon." He then shuffles to the fridge and opens it to inspect what's inside.

"Aw," R whines with mock sadness, "that's a shame. Guess I have to play without your consent, then."

Geno is in the middle of eyeing a ketchup bottle when R's words jerk him out of his contemplation. "Wait what?" His head snaps up to look at R, only to find him missing from the spot he'd been floating in moments before. Geno huffs and turns back to the fridge to grab the ketchup bottle before standing and shutting the fridge. 

As Geno pulls back from the fridge and turns to walk toward the livingroom, he pauses upon hearing the sound of subtle shuffling of cloth. Geno squints upon hearing this suspicious, nearly inaudible noise. He decides an investigation is in order, feeling that the demon could very well be responsible. The idea of this being the demon’s doing has Geno’s feet carry him after the noise swiftly, taking him towards the hall connecting to the kitchen and livingroom. Said hall also connects to the bathroom, his bedroom, and a closet used for storing clutter and other such things. Geno begins to bristle at the idea that the demon might be messing around in one of these rooms. He’d be particularly miffed if the immortal asshole had decided to enter his room.

Geno is ready to break some bones with his acquired ketchup bottle if it comes to that.


	4. Dancing With A Demon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Geno and R have developed a new form of dancing around the subject. Some of it involves literal dancing. Geno firmly denies any sort of dancing occurred (don't tell him).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eyyyy, I went to write more on this story and found enough for a new chapter! (From my dazed recovery period, hence why I couldn't remember it lol!) Lucky for y'all, huh? I hope it's as fun to read as I think it is! I can't help but put in some funny situations between these two. 
> 
> WARNINGS: none? (Lemme know if there needs to be.)

Geno takes swift steps from the kitchen and into the hall that connects to the rest of the house, ready to dish out a knuckle sandwich if the demonic intruder had entered his own room. Upon entering the hallway, however, Geno is frozen in place upon seeing the demon rifling through the closet. His eyesocket widens and then blinks, unsure of how to address this at first. A part of his soul twists at the idea of this demon touching some of the things inside his closet, but Geno doesn’t quite remember why. All that comes to mind is that they belonged to someone very dear to him. With this in mind and the unsettled feeling rooted into his soul, Geno briskly walks over to the intrusive immortal for a confrontation. The moment Geno is within arm’s reach, he tightly grabs the other’s shoulder and whirls the floating demon to face the smaller skeleton. Geno gives the other a dark glare that he wears partly to hide the haunted expression he’s sure had overcome his face. R seems completely at ease with this development

“What,” Geno speaks with a clipped tone, “are you doing?”

R stares at Geno in a moment of silence, observing the other in mild interest. With this silence comes a small shake of R’s shoulder urging him to speak up. This irks R enough that he smoothly slides out of Geno’s grip and speaks. “Well, I figured I’d get to know my victim a little. Plus, it has been a while since I could visit the mortal plane.” R then leans back and crosses his arms with a mock pout adorning his face. “Being trapped in a book is boring and uninformative, you know.”

Geno scoffs at the demon’s excuse, “Like I care. Just stop perusing through my things! It’s rude and an invasion of my privacy."

“Oh Geno, you know I don’t play by mortal rules…” R’s words lilt in a teasing fashion before his head tilts to look at the closet once more. “Besides, I’m curious and bored, and you haven’t made a decision yet.” His head suddenly tilts low as he looks back to Geno, his hood casting an unnaturally dark shadow across his face. “Time is ticking, little skeleton~.”

Geno glowers at R and leans back as the demon leans much too close for his liking. “I told you, I’m not choosing either of your poor excuses for options.” Geno finds himself feeling uncertain the longer he denies this, so he turns away partially to marginally hide this fact, his blind side kept away from the demon. “You might as well give up and find someone else to take the book.”

Suddenly, Geno’s chin is grasped and his head is swiftly yanked back to stare at the demon. He gasps and tries to pull away, grasping the wrist of the hand owner to try and pull it off. R stares down at Geno with a calm demeanor as he inspects the smaller skeleton’s face. Then he speaks, “Need I remind you... that I am being merciful. These rules should not be broken.” Geno calms somewhat from his panic after realizing the other is merely speaking to him, though he continues to try and pull away. R sighs into Geno’s face, making the smaller skeleton cringe and glare. “I know you’re new to this, so I might as well explain it to you, hm?”

Geno snarls at R with defiance, then suddenly finds himself released and stumbling back. He quickly steadies himself before taking on a defensive posture. “That would have been a great idea when you first came out of that damn book, hellion.”

“Hm,” R mocks a pondering hum. “Perhaps, but there’s no fun in that.” R gins at Geno with a mischievous smirk that easily irritates Geno. “Anyway, the basic rule is that, once my book is opened by someone such as yourself, I am bound to you until I decide what to do with you. In this case, like I've mentioned, I’m being merciful and giving you a choice, little skeleton~.”

Geno starts to sweat upon hearing that he is bound to this demon now, all because he opened a book. A brief thought on his luck brings him to the conclusion that this is practically expected. Desperate, Geno tries to find a work-around, “Can’t you just… unbind me?”

“I’m afraid not, small bones,” R says with mock pity. His then returns to his amused grin as he continues, “I’d like to remind you that time is quickly ticking away to… midnight is what I decided on. Only a couple hours away~!”

Geno becomes frazzled upon hearing the time stamp. “Wait what?! I thought you said until tomorrow!” He becomes angry yet again, his posture puffing up to appear larger despite his small size.

“No~,” R replies with a sneaky grin, “I said until tonight, remember? You only have…” R glances at his wrist that is completely void of a watch, “About two hours left.” He looks back up at Geno with a devilish grin fitting of his immortal, hellion status. 

Geno begins to sweat profusely upon hearing this. His eyelight glances around with panicked thinking as he stands before his potential demise. “Th-that’s not enough time…!”

R hums and shrugs at the other’s concerns. “Well, it’s definitely more time than my other victims have been given in the past. Like I said, I’m being merciful. You should be grateful.” R gives the panicking skeleton a sly smile.

“Sh...shit, you…” Geno stares at the demon with conflicting emotions, though his contempt for this immortal holds the most space in him. He then looks away after contemplating the choices he has, feeling trapped. “...Two hours?”

R nods at this, enjoying the conflict set upon this poor skeleton’s face. “Yes~, though I think we both know the choice you will make.”

Geno scoffs at the other’s comment, giving him a sour expression before it changes to a mocking smile. “You don’t know me, demon. I might just die fighting for my freedom from your clutches.”

R hums at this response, a hint of disappointment crossing his face. “Well, that would certainly be eventful…”

Geno glares with hate at the demon, feeling like a mouse stalked by a particularly cruel cat. He then huffs and shuffles to the closet and begins to clean up the items strewn about the ground. Calmly, R floats around Geno’s side, watching the mortal clean up the mess the demon had made. Geno addresses this lurker with a tired irritation and subtle plea, “Just... stay away from me… I’m not interested in being your plaything for the two hours of freedom I have left.” Geno briefly pauses his cleaning when he grabs an action figure that holds a heavy sentimentality to it. The melancholy sense that this belonged to someone very important weighs down on Geno once more, his bone brow furrowing in confusion and frustration. He tries to pull memories from his mind, but he can’t seem to tug at them, almost as if they’re locked away.

R observes the smaller skeleton’s pause in motion with interest, noting the somewhat pained expression. He hums, catching the attention of Geno which quickly interrupts the smaller’s memory excavation to eye R with irritation. Seeing this, R hides his curious and mild concern with a lazy smirk. “Find something interesting?” R asks with a small hope that the other would elaborate in some way whether he means to or not.

Geno gives the demon a side-eye glare. “None of your concern, demon. Go back to your book life and leave me alone.”

R pouts at this, floating around to enter Geno’s direct line of sight. “Now that’s just mean. You know I’ve been trapped in that book for ages.”

Geno glares at the other with a fake smile. “Actually, I didn’t know that. And even now that I do know that... it doesn’t change how I feel about you!” Geno’s hand gestures angrily as he yells his conclusion at the demon. He then swiftly slams the closet and whirls to walk back to the livingroom. He feels the chill of the demon follow behind him, which irks him further, but he pretends not to notice in hopes the other will stay quiet. 

Geno walks to the couch he’d earlier passed out on. He stops beside the bag holding the forgotten book of world history. With a sigh, Geno bends over to grab the book. Upon standing up, he feels the chilling presence of the demon at his shoulder. He starts to turn around to give the demon some lessons on why he shouldn’t invade Geno’s space, but then he smells the vanilla and mint waft against the side of his skull and into his nose. Geno stills, uncertain on the best approach to this while also feeling his soul stutter weirdly. After a moment of being frozen, the chilling presence and unique smell pull away from Geno’s shoulder, leaving the smaller skeleton to wonder what had just happened. He blinks, hoping to clear his head, and looks down at the bag in his hand that holds the world history book. 

The deep voice of the demon snaps Geno out of his confused musings. “Well, what are you doing, small mortal?”

Geno flinches with surprise at the voice, then immediately frowns as he looks to the other floating behind the couch with a relaxed grin. He gives the demon a bitter smile. "I'm thinking about how annoying you are."

R's bone brow raises at this comment as he detects some kind of fallacy in the mortal's words. With a knowing smirk growing on his face, he floats over the couch to close some of the distance between them. Geno steps back to gain more space, which only adds to R's grin. Said demon sets his head in his hands and lays out in the air upon his chest, legs swaying above his body. 

"Oh really?" R asks with a suggestive smile. "Are you sure you weren't thinking about how grateful you are that I'm not one of the less than merciful demons?" 

Geno rolls his eyes at the demon and snarks back with mock-appreciation, "Oh yes of course, I just couldn't stop myself from deeply considering…" his tone shifts to something more dead, "how annoying you are." 

R chuckles with decibels reached below the mortal scale, "That wasn't a no~."

The low tone of R's voice vibrates through Geno's chest, sending a shudder through him. Geno's face scrunches with embarrassment and he huffs, quickly turning away to fall backwards onto the couch. He feels the chilling presence of the demon hovering over his shoulder, made more clear by another deep chuckle emitted above him.

Geno does his best to ignore the demon by opening the book to a random spot and beginning to read about Neanderthals during the ice age. However, as he is reading, he can still feel the chill drifting from his shoulder demon, except this one isn't going away despite his want to dispel its presence. Yet still, he continues to feign ignorance of the other's presence in favor of reading. Upon returning his focus to the page, however, he realizes he's just read a paragraph about an ice bridge five times without knowing what it said. His hands tighten irritably on either side of the book as he tries harder to nail his focus onto the scrawled words, face pinching with focus. His eyelight digs into the page like claws trying to find purchase to proceed further.

A quiet chuckle in his ear is what makes him snap. Geno slams the book shut without warning and around and up to face the demon with a sharp glare. "Do you MIND?!" The smaller, angry skeleton growls.

R has an amused smile on his face before faking a look of disappointment. "Well, I didn't until you closed the book. I was reading that." R points discreetly at the book for good measure.

Geno's teeth grind with the rage boiling up inside him. R thinks that the other might as well have smoke coming out if his ear holes. Geno growls, "So was I… but I can't read with a pest on my shoulder!" Geno is practically shaking with agitation at this point.

R merely shrugs, leaning back somewhat to look down on the smaller skeleton with a pleased expression. "I wasn't exactly doing anything, short stack."

Geno's eyesocket twitches as he glares up at the floating pest in his house. "Your presence is annoying."

"Are you sure it's my physical presence that annoys you?" R asks with a smug expression which widens into a sadistic smile when he continues. "Or perhaps you just can't stop thinking about me."

Geno's face becomes sprinkled with a slight red and blue and he bristles with defensive energy. "That is not what is…" He trails off upon noticing R snickering. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?!"

This accusation only makes R's snickering turn into chuckles. "Well, I am rather bored, you know~. I thought you knew this already, short bones."

"You sadistic asshole! Isn't it enough that you're taking my soul in two hours?!"

R gains a mocking, thoughtful expression as a moment of silence passes. Then he eyes Geno with more amusement. "Am I a sadist? Makes sense for a demon, doesn't it? Anyway, you actually have about… a little more than an hour, short stuff."

"Stop calling me short!" Geno shouts with indignation, though his maxilla bones start to dust further with red and blue from embarrassment. He is pointedly ignoring the fact that he has a mere hour left before his soul is officially owned.

R swiftly notices the embarrassment on Geno's face. An intrigued expression morphs onto R's face and he floats a little closer. "Hm… why?"

Geno ducks his head a little and takes a step back as the demon floats closer, his frown becoming a slightly more vulnerable. "I'm not that short, idiot!"

"Oh really?" R questions with a smug tone. He then floats closer and lands his feet directly in front of Geno. Said smaller skeleton startles and takes a few more steps back. R continues speaking, "Then why do I have to look down so far to meet your eyes, hm?"

Geno glowers up at the demon, his shoulders hunching. "That's because you're tall, dumbass."

R chuckles, "Tall for you, at least." R takes another step closer and reaches for Geno's shoulder, who quickly follows that step with a step back. R raises a bone brow at this, pausing momentarily to give the glaring skeleton a look of curiosity. He then begins walking closer, following after each step Geno takes back.

"Stop doing that!" Geno suddenly yells at the demon.

"Why?" R asks with a lilting voice.

"Because- hhn…!" Geno tries to snap back, but is cut off when his back hits the wall on the other side of the room. He suddenly feels fear spike up his body and tenses as R approaches. Seeing the smug look on the demon's face, Geno panics and swiftly shoves at the other's chest, pushing him back. He then darts to the side, dashing for the kitchen. 

R is a little surprised by the other's actions, but he nonetheless swiftly floats after the smaller. "Now this is fun~," R sings to the fleeing skeleton.

"Yes, because being chased by a demon is my lifelong dream! Shut up!" Geno yells back as he scurries into the kitchen and grabs an empty ketchup bottle on the counter.

R pauses in the kitchen doorway upon seeing Geno standing beside the kitchen counter with a plastic, empty ketchup bottle held at his side. One of R’s bone brows raise in question. "What are you planning to do with that, small bones?"

Geno glares with vehemence at the demon as he snaps back, "I'm gonna keep you away from me!"

A pleased and intrigued smile curls upon R's face as he gazes upon Geno and inspects him. "Really now? With that little bottle? It's almost as small as you are."

Geno's face contorts in a snarling grimace at being called short yet again. "What is your fascination with my height?!"

R hums thoughtfully and begins to float into the kitchen, tapping a finger to his chin. He pays no reactional mind to the tensing posture of Geno, nor does he seem to care about the empty ketchup bottle brandished as a weapon pointed at his demonic self. "I think it's cute," R says with a sharp smirk.

Geno jerks back with shock at being called cute. It's this very moment that leads to his demise, his guard briefly diminishing. R is swift as lightning as he lunges forward, swiping the ketchup bottle aside, and curls an arm around Geno's waist. Geno startles violently with a yelp and tries to retreat, but he quickly finds himself trapped against the chill of the demon.

"That was easy~," R's deep voice sings with a sultry tone while he admires his catch.

Geno is again momentarily stunned, this time by the demon's voice, before he begins squirming in the other's grasp. "Hey! Let go!!" He shoves at R's chest to try and gain some space. Finding no give and a condescending chuckle as a response, Geno begins whacking the demon on the head with his empty ketchup bottle.

"Wh- ow! Hey!" R jerks back a little to grab at the wrist of the hand holding the offending ketchup bottle. "That hurts, you know."

"Exactly!" Geno yells as he begins struggling with the grip on his wrist. “Now let me go or I’ll keep hitting you!”

"Not until you  _ promise _ not to assault me, small bones," the demon subtly purrs and the mortal.

Geno flushes slightly at this and tries to twist around in hopes of loosening the grip around his wrist and body. "Only if you let me go, asshole!"

R sighs in disappointment before suddenly twirling the smaller around as if they were dancing, earning a high-pitched yelp from Geno. R then grips the smaller tight once more as said smaller skeleton sways with dizziness. 

R purrs as he hugs the small mortal, "Now where's the fun in that?"

Geno clutches at R to hold himself steady, until he realizes what he's doing. He tries to shove R away, but the demon has a tight grip around his waist and on his ketchup-wielding arm.

“Stop dipping me like we’re doing a salsa dance!” Geno tries to shake his arms free of the demon’s grasp, yet said demon only finds amusement in this action. “Just let me go!”

“But if I do that, you’ll fall, little skeleton,” R replies with a mocking sad pout. “That’s not how you treat your dance partner.”

Geno yells with frustration as he starts to try yanking his arms away. “We are not dancing!”

“You seem to think otherwise,” R sings to Geno as he gazes upon the smaller with lidded eyesockets.

“That was a comparison to show how ridiculous this is!” Geno yells as he struggles to break free, but there is no give in R’s hold.

R hums in thought before he finally stands back up, still holding Geno close to him. “Hm, I disagree. That dip was a little too long for the dance though, I’m sure you’d agree.”

Geno grunts with irritation and jerks his head as far away as he can. “Shut up and let me go!”

R chuckles sways side to side in a mock dance with the irritated skeleton. “I didn’t hear any disagreement in that statement~,” R sings to the shorter with a smirk.

Geno struggles more violently with a shout of anger, his patience long gone now.

The next ten minutes are spent with Geno struggling to continue whacking R with his empty ketchup bottle while the demon struggles in his efforts to subdue the violent skelly with teasing remarks. The flirtatious tone and comments seem to work for only a moment, but it certainly clues R into a better strategy, one he finds he might pursue more honestly later. He finds this small mortal to be rather adorable, after all.

Geno himself is struggling to break free of this cunning demon's clutches, his face brightening with blue and red coloring from embarrassment. He refuses to go down without a fight, wanting to show he's not a helpless mortal. He kicks his legs in hopes of unbalancing the other, but the demon has no issue staying aloft in the air. His attempts at kicking back against the other's shins fails spectacularly as well with minimal hits, and those hits hardly seem to phase the other. Lastly, his failing arms have little room to move with one caught by the wrist while the other is now trapped between their bodies.

Suddenly, R leans in, his mouth centimeters away from Geno's ear hole. His sultry tone dips deep into decibels that are unreachable by the average mortal. "Geno~," R sings to him.

Geno's body jolts, then a violent shiver goes down his spine. Panicked, he yelps out, "What?!"

"You have thirty minutes," R says in the same deep tone. He sways with the other in his arms, seemingly waiting.

Geno blinks at this, his mind frazzled and anxiously trying to understand what the demon means. Then it hits him and he jerks. "Wait WHAT?" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is sadly unscheduled until I can catch up on some other things.


End file.
